This invention relates to skiing equipment and, more particularly, to apparatus for improving one's control and maneuverability on skis such as cross-country snow skis which are not rigidly and inflexibly secured to a ski boot.
In recent years, there has been a tremedous increase in the numbers of persons enjoying cross-country skiing in the United States and other countries even though the cross-country form of skiing has been widely known for hundreds of years. In cross-country skiing, a skier generally utilizes lighter skis than are common to downhill skiing to traverse all types of terrain including uphill and downhill sections. A cross-country skier typically wears lighter, more flexible boots than in conventional downhill or "Alpine" skiing. These more flexible boots are typically attached to the central portion of the skis generally via the toe portions such that the boot can be flexed upwardly to allow the skier to "walk" on his skis to traverse level and uphill areas.
A major problem encountered by virtually all cross-country skiers, both novice and expert alike, is the inability to adequately control one's skis during downhill runs. Unlike typical downhill skiing in which a skier's foot is encased in a generally rigid, inflexible boot which is in turn rigidly secured to his downhill ski so that neither the toe nor heel portions can move from the ski, the heels of the cross-country skier can move with respect to the ski thereby greatly reducing the cross-country skier's ability to control his ski to turn, avoid obstacles, and the like.
To help provide better control, cross-country skis include pads or projections under the heel of the boot to reduce lateral movement of the ski boot with respect to the ski. Use of such pads or projections is often very difficult because the skier's weight must be radically shifted to his heel to make proper use of the pads or projections. When weight is shifted in such manner, the skier's balance is often disrupted, making it difficult or even impossible to perform many of even the simpler maneuvers that are typically performed on downhill-type skis.
Although many types of bindings and safety straps have been designed for use with various types of ski equipment in the past, none have provided the control and maneuverability for cross-country skiers as does the present invention. Safety harnesses have been devised which extend either from the rear of the ski or both the rear and front portions of a ski around the torso of a skier. Other devices include elastic straps extending between the ankles of the skier or between the ski and the ski boot. None of these devices is useful in the manner of the present invention and, in fact, many are dangerous in that they severely limit the ability of the skier to maneuver, keep his balance, and generally control himself on skis.
The present invention provides a device which is uniquely designed for use with cross-country type skis which extends both the range and scope of the type of cross-country skiing which can be performed and enables the enjoyment of downhill-type skiing with conventional cross-country skis and equipment.